Coaching & Mentoring to support teachers Julie Halley-School Improvement Adviser 2014

Objectives. To be able to use, apply and refine Coaching & Mentoring skills to develop the role of the professional partner. To be able to use the principles and skills effectively to ensure rapid, sustained and measureable improvement in a teachers practice.

What is the difference, what is common? Coaching Mentoring

Common features of all Coaching Models. Supportive; Non-judgemental, requires openness from coach & coachee Active listening; Allow the coached teacher to do most of the talking; Encourages self reflection; Encourages the consideration of alternatives; A discussion of issues that have no agreed solution Uses videoing of lessons as evidence for questioning and reflection; Establishes a confidential trusting relationship; Asks appropriate challenging questions; Focuses on agreed goals or outcomes. Is part of a cycle of support for improvement.

Conventional Lesson Observations Lesson planned by teacher. May be a general observation. Teacher plays safe. Single isolated observation. May be judged against Ofsted criteria. Standard feedback will probably focus of strengths and a focus for improvement or development. The observer does most of the talking. A one way judgemental process. Limited long term development from the feedback process.

Coaching observation Lesson jointly planned. Focus agreed in advance. Focus is owned by the coachee. Encourages risk taking. Cycles of observations. Coachee is prompted and encouraged to reflect on the lesson by the coach. The Coachee does most of the talking. The coach asks open questions. Self reflection and analysis is encouraged. Coach and coachee working as a team towards a shared goal. The process is sustainabale and spreads good and improving practice.

Conclusions- Coaching…. Facilitates the exploration of motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to make real and lasting change. Uses skilful questioning techniques to identify solutions and actions rather than take a wholly directive approach. Observes and listens (active listening) to understand the coachee. Encourages a commitment to action to support personal growth and change. Maintains unconditional positive regard for the coachee at all times- supportive and non-judgemental. Evaluates outcomes using objective measures to ensure the coaching relationship is successful and the coachee is achieving their goals.

Quote-W. Timothy Gallway Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their performance. It’s helping them to learn rather than just teaching them.

Quote-Julie Starr The coach believes in the ability of the individual to create insights and ideas needed to move their situation forward. The task of the coach is to use advanced skills of listening, questioning and reflection to create highly effective conversations and experiences for the individual. For the person being coached, the relationship feels more like a partnership of equals than anything parental or advisory.

John Whitmore Coaching is the missing link that turns theoretical knowledge acquired in training into continuously improved performance and practice.

How do coached teachers improve? Practise new strategies more often and develop greater skills. Use effective strategies more appropriately. Remember knowledge base and retain skills, deepened understanding and technical mastery. Explain strategies to pupils/students. Understand the purpose of and uses of new strategies better than uncoached teachers.

GROW Model G- Goal R-Reality O-Options W-Win.

Goal What is the subject matter you would like to work on? What form of outcome are you seeking by the end of the session? How far and how detailed do you expect to get in this session? What is the time frame? What intermediate steps can you identify which will get you to your outcome? What are their time frames?

Reality What is the present situation in more detail? Who else is affected by this issue? Who knows about your desire to do something about it? How much control and influence do you personally? Who else has control and influence over it? How much influence and control do they have? What action steps have you taken so far? What have been your successes? What obstacles do you need to overcome on the way? What resources do you already have ?

Options What are all the different ways you could approach this issue? What else could you do? What would you do if you had no limitations? What would you do if you could start again with a clean sheet? Would you like to add a suggestion from me? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different options? What, if any, internal obstacles or personal resistance do you have to taking action?

Will or Win Which option or options do you choose? To what extent does this meet your objectives? What are your criteria and measurements for success? When precisely are you going to start and finish each action step? Who needs to know what your plans are? What could I do to support you? What commitment on a scale of one to ten do you have to taking these agreed actions? What prevents this from being a ten? What could you do or alter to raise your commitment closer to ten? Is there anything else you want to talk about before we finish>

Coaching Cylcles Coaching is a three-part process: 1.A pre-lesson discussion which supports planning / joint planning 2.An observed lesson 3.A post lesson discussion / analysis (Most effective when cycle is repeated at least 3 times)

Skills and qualities of co-coaches Group activity: Consider the skills and qualities statements and prioritise those most essential to a successful co-coaching relationship by sorting them into a diamond nine formation.  Get rid of the red herrings and add anything extra on the blank card.

Coaching Conversations- Principles. Be open and share your experience. Be friendly and seek a personal relationship, but you don’t have to be ‘a friend’. Keep the process confidential-only share with others after agreement with the coached teacher. Create a relaxed atmosphere in the coaching session. Think about seating arrangements and body language. Establish that you are in this together-it is a joint enterprise.

Coaching-general advice. Allow the person, where possible, to do most of the critical work, so that they have ownership of the process and the desire to change and develop is internal. Reflect on and be aware of what you are doing and how the coached teacher is responding. Be supportive of the coached teacher-you have a duty of care and need to help them deal with the emotions triggered by reflection and feedback. Be open about your own learning and thought processed to try to establish rapport.

Coaching Conversations? Role play in trio’s. One observer. One Coach. One Coachee. Rotate around activities. 5 minutes preparation-all scenarios. 5 minutes a coaching conversation. 5 mins-Feedback and discussions. Repeat x3.

Discussion and feedback. Body language and tone of conversation- balance of talking and active listening; Agreed next steps and timescales; What the conversation felt like and would the coach ask or say anything differently; Did the coach feel listened to and did the coachee feel s/he ‘owned’ the conversation?

Coaching experiences. WWW IBI

Planning to initiate coaching in schools 1.Define a specific learning and teaching focus 2.Identify participating teachers 3.Select teaching or target group 4.Secure timetabled time to facilitate coaching 5.Make arrangements for monitoring and evaluating impact 6.Plan for the extension of coaching to other teachers or subjects

Effectiveness? How will impact be measured? What are the professional issues that have been identified?